Captured
by 1st Author of Reserve 38
Summary: Prized for what I am, I am constantly hunted. The humans, I am just a prize to them. But there is always good in the worst of species, I suppose. 18 or older readers only. Rated M for Language, Violence, Adult Situations, ext. Chapters may be reposted with corrections.
1. It Starts with Him

The sun has risen, the sun had set, and then risen again. This was my basic life, aside from the humans intervening. It was about midday and I was laying in a semi-cleared area of the dense and large forest I call home. In my bloodied paws was a black leather boot, and above that was a pale purple pant leg, then above that was the bloody, marked bone in my teeth. The leg had belonged to a human that had tried to capture me, the stupid fool.

I was a treasure in their eyes, a mere possession ranked high in their monetary system, pricing at what my meal had said 'a pretty price of two-billion poké, for the year was 2267 and I was one of the last Luxray on this pitiful planet. What made me even more valuable was that I was female, able to bring my population back. That may be the case, but it's known that once a Luxray, or any form of my evolution, bonds with a human, they become extremely protective of their trainer and make excellent companions. I shake my head at the very thought and go back to gnawing on the limb, even though I was quite full from what used to be the idiot who tried to catch me.

What was he thinking? This is my forest, _my_ forest. I let everyone know who dares to venture close enough to me. I have strategically placed special scratch marks in the bark of the large trees in my area. I have about four square acres of land to hunt in, and I haven't let anyone into my area since I claimed it. I was born in this forest, and I will protect it with my life. I have even received battle scars from the battles, but the only one that shows is the large scar that stretches from my right eyebrow, over my eye, and rested on my cheekbone.

I have made that clear to the humans that try to both capture me and cut down the trees here for their horrific factories. I am, in nature, nameless, but the humans have come to know me as 'Scarlet'. I know of why they call me this; it is the color I paint the ground with their blood when someone comes too close. I have killed humans before, a total of twelve now, and I have been dubbed dangerous, if not deadly. But they still continue to come after me.

I gnaw on the bone for a bit longer before it snaps under my bite. I toss the bone in the bloody mess of what was left of the trainer and begin to lick my paws clean. My ears twitch as I hear yet more footsteps crunch the littered ground. They stop fairly close but I pay them no mind. Any wise person now knows that if you see me, you should run. I don't chase unless you provoke me.

My ears twitch even more and I sigh, putting my near clean paw back onto the ground. Scribbling...and a soft mumbling. The voice belongs to a male, that I was sure of. I glance toward the noise, seeing a young human boy, looking to be about sixteen of age, crouched down in brown clothes with a white board and some sort of stick in his hands. He was busy scribbling while he talked to himself. "Oh wow, I can't believe it's her. Scarlet the Luxray."

I growled and stood, walking over to him. He was too busy drawing to notice until I was right in front of him. The boy paused and looked up, a glint of fear in his eyes. I was about 4'10 when I stood and weighed a solid hundred pounds, and while he crouched, I towered over him. I growled again. He stood up very slowly and put his arms to his sides. He was a few inches taller than me, but I was still able to look him straight in the eyes. I got a good look at his face. His skin was light, light tan from exposure to the sun and his blue eyes reflected my own red ones. His jet black hair was combed out of his face and was cut in the front, leaving it longer in the back. I growled again, more softly this time, telling him to leave.

The artist passed his items to his right hand and slowly reached up with his left. I snarled as his hand got closer, showing off my fangs, which were still stained red from my recent kill. The human seemed to get the hint and started to back away. I let my lips lower and conceal my teeth and turned, then dashed off into a deeper part of the forest.

After the sun had begun to fall I had found my den. It was the broken stump of the largest tree in the forest. It was broken from about fifteen up and the remainder of the hundred-foot-tall tree was to the left. The tree had been brought down by a vigorous storm, and the trunk had been hollowed out by myself. It gave me a large space to sleep and eat in, and I happily entered. My den was near the edge of the forest, could be easily reached by humans, and on the outside of the forest, bordering by about four miles, was the large city of Crest. I went to the back and laid down, drowsy from my meal. I then continued to clean myself until the blood on my muzzle and paws were gone and rather quickly fell into a light nap.

I awoke to another set of scratching noises. I let my eyes adjust and rose my head. I looked outside, seeing it was still somewhat light out. Near the right of my den was that same boy from before. I silently rose as he raised the pad to his face for a better sketch and walked out of sight. I saw him lower the pad and look around, not seeing me. He stood and walked into my den in search, a big mistake.

I pounced and caught him by surprise. I slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. I landed on top of him and extended my claws, placing my right paw on his neck, my left on his kidney. I brought my face within inches of his and growled, deep and menacingly. I was ready to kill him right there, but there was something in his eyes. His blue, soft, inviting eyes. My fierce snarl I had gained softened, but kept my claws at his life points.

He was completely still under my paw, but his breath was hot and quick. He pulled himself together after a few dozen seconds. And began to push me off, or at least he tried. I growled at him when he moved and dug my claws into his skin, not so much as to hurt him, but to give him slight discomfort. "...Easy. girl."

I lifted my head from his in shock. He dared to call me that? Something so simple and..._normal?_ I snarled again and swatted him across the face with the pads of my paw. He made a small noise when I struck him, but otherwise kept quiet. I grunted in anger. He looked back up at me, and my gaze struck fear into his very being. I could tell he thought I was going to rip out his throat. A pleasant thought, but I restrained. His eyes held something, or rather held _not_, I hadn't seen in ages; a lack of power. He meant me no harm, I could see that.

I leaned in and touched my nose to his, making the boy hold his breath. After a bit I rose from his body, but growled when he tried to move. I circled him and pushed him to a sitting position. He tried to stand and I let him. When he was up, I pushed his back with the flat of my skull toward the entrance of my den. I pushed him outside and he turned to me. I motioned with my head toward the right of my den, towards the city. He gathered his items from the ground and dashed off, having something fall from his pocket. It was a trainer ID, and though it had no registered starting partners, his name was clearly visible. He dashed back, picked it up, then continued on his way back home.

His name I will remember, his scent I shall register, the boy's weakness, nay..._kindness_, I shall never forget. I called out in my native tongue. "Hear me Colten Grey! Never return, but know that I have spared your life! Begone, and keep your kind out of my forest!" I roared in victory, setting my voice echoing threw the forest, and silencing any other Pokémon that may have been near.


	2. Biting the Bullet

I growl at nothing as I awake to a new day. The sun has yet to rise, but I know that it would shine soon enough. I rise from my curled state at the back of my den and shake, letting my fur frizzle back to normal from being matted underneath me for the night. Looking around, letting my eyes adjust to the lack of light, the forest seemed to have a blue tint to it. I spring forward and dash into the forest.

After a bit of running, I hit the small creak that runs through a large portion of the forest. I crouch down and dip my muzzle into the crisp cold water, taking a large drink. As I was finishing, the sun poked through the trees, lighting spots of the forest ground. I stand and smile. I loved mornings like this; the cool air, the sparkle of the dew drops on the leaves of the forest floor, the low mist that hangs around in spots. It was beautiful. I began walking back to my den for another nap, for I was still full from yesterday's feeding.

The low fog clung to my legs as I walked, but I paid it no mind. My eyes allowed me to easily see through the water vapor, and I swerve to the left to dodge another rope snare trap the humans have set. As I pass, I trigger it with my tail, letting it loop around the empty air and jolt up into the trees. I growl at the failed attempt and turn. My den was just ahead and I speed up to reach it. Once inside I resume my position at the back of the tree trunk and lay my head down, chin on my paws and though I was not tired, I close my eyes and rest.

With what seemed like hours pass, I open my eyes to see that forest was fully illuminated by the sun. I yawn and stand, not bothering to shake this time. I walk out of my den and turn. I jump and claw my way up to the top of my den, where I have placed branches and debris to make my perch. Once up, I lie back down and look around. Nothing to report; no new Pokémon, no humans at the moment, and the day was clear. My ears perked up as I heard something. Scratch that; there was a human here. I glance to my right without moving my head to see another shape near the base of a tree, hidden in the shade.

The shape doesn't move for the longest time, and I don't move as well. I strike when I feel threatened or when they piss me off, and this silence was irritating me. Lying completely still, I watch the shape from the corner of my eye. When it stands I jump to my feet and leap down. I sprint at the shape, which was frozen like a Deerling caught in the spotlight, and slam into it. Pinning the human to the ground, I reel my head and, barring my fangs, prepare to rip out its throat.

"Wow, wow, wow! Stop! Don't!" I pause and look at my prey, only to see it was the same human from the other day; Colten. I snarl and bring my face close to his once more. He has his hands up and open to show he had nothing in his grasp. "...Easy."

Again, he talks to me like I'm some sort of disobedient pet! I can tell he sees the anger in my eyes. I bring my head past his face and to his left shoulder, where I grab the collar of his shirt in my teeth. He has just enough time to grab his piece of paper before I start dragging him across the forest floor.

He makes minor sounds as his backside and lower back are stabbed by twigs and run over rocks. Though I ignore his pleas to let him go, I don't plan on killing him. He fights for a bit longer, but once he realizes that I'm not letting go, he stops and lets me drag him in peace. His shoulder bumps my leg occasionally as I proceed. I begin to make soft noises to myself as I try to figure out why this human has pushed his luck with me. He was one of the very few I've been able to have at my mercy and let go. The other humans have never returned. But this one, Colten Grey, _has_ returned, and again I had him at my mercy.

I drag him for several minutes and still he stays still. "…Scarlet? Can I call you that?" I ignore him, but he gathers another breath to speak. "Can I ask where you're taking me?"

Again I don't answer, but I pass one last tree and we enter a lush green pasture. Across the plain is the city of Crest, standing tall with its buildings that touch the very sky itself and lights of yellow and white. I stop walking and throw my head to one side, letting go of Colten's shirt, and flinging him into the tall grass.

He lands with a loud thump and the crushing of the grass lets a new scent breath into the wind. He looks around, then at me. "…You're…you're letting me go?"

I stare at him for a moment longer before turning my backside to him. I dash back into my forest. I run past my den, past the creak, though running aside it, past my hunting grounds, and finally after minutes of running with the creak, I come to its source. It was a lake, nearly clear water filling the basin of rock. A single flat rock stood about three feet from the water's surface in the middle of the lake, about a twenty feet swim. A smaller rock nearly level with the lake's surface passes for a stepping stone. I jump in and swim over to the rock in a fast set pace. Climbing on, I shake somewhat dry and lay down, letting the warm stone relax my muscles. I look around then start to groom myself, taking long strokes of my tongue down my foreleg.

So time passed...the sun began to set...my stomach was still full...and the forest had gone silent for the night. I look up at the starry sky from the short pillar of stone in the lake. I lay on my back, hind legs stretched straight, forelegs up in a begging manner, and tail hanging off the edge of the stone. I allow a small smile to form on my lips as another day has successfully passed with only minor inconveniences. "...I wonder if there are still other electric-types out there?" I ask myself. Yes, I talk to myself a lot, but it keeps one sane. I close my eyes and let myself drift into a light sleep.

My eyes shoot open at a sudden snap. Normally I would have jumped to my feet, but I just lazily roll toward the sound to make it seem like I was still asleep. I catch glimpse of three burly men, all about six feet tall, maybe taller, in plaid shirts and jeans, though the leader was in overalls. He was pointing to the ground and then at me, not noticing I was awake. "Listen you bums," he tries to say quietly, "if you help me catch her, I'll split the profit with y'all."

"But Joe, this is Scarlet we be talkin' 'bout! _The_ Scarlet! The ruthless Pokémon that _ain't_ afraid to attack people!"

"Shut yer yammerin'!" He points to the last member of the crew. "You got anythin' ta add before I goes on?" He shook his head. "Good, now here's what we gonna do. Scarlet's sleepin' right now, so we have the element of surprise."

I hear enough and stand up. The two teammates notice me and back up a step. One of them tried to stammer out a sentence. "...Uh...C-c-captain..."

"Hush! Gather yer guts ya slimy Remoraid you!"

I silently slip down and go under the water's surface. I poke my head up just enough to breath and see. The same employee points at me and stutters. "C-c-captain!" I creep up onto land and stand behind the lead thug. "Captain!"

"What? And keep your voice down, you're gonna," he turns and nearly pushes his nose to mine, "wake...her...up..." His eyes lock onto mine.

I growl at him and he steps back. He then reaches into his front pocket and pulls out what look like pink pokéblocks. The stuttering helper steps back. "Captain, what are you doing?"

"Scarlet may be a killing machine," he stepped back again and held out his hand with the treats, "but she's still a Pokémon, and like all Pokémon their trust can be earned. Watch, I'll make her eat off my hand."

"Yeah, clear up to the elbow!"

"Shut up, she'll take them; ya just have to wait long enough."

He sticks out his hand even further to where there were only a few inches between his fingertips and my nose. I ignore them and continue my gaze into his eyes, which he returned. If he glances away, he loses, and if he loses, he's gonna get hurt. I furrow my brow at such a slow rate, he seems not to notice, but when I finish, I look angry and fierce, but with my fur wet from the water, I may just look angry. He swallows the lump in his throat and a bead of sweat forms on his forehead.

Second turn to minutes, and neither of us budge an inch. My red eyes are still locked into his, and fear and worry reflect from his blue orbs. One of his men, who were sitting behind him in disbelief, hiccups and pats his chest. The other was fiddling with the string of his recording device he had taken out earlier when I started the stare-down. My tail sways back in forth in a slow pattern, and every sixth stoke to the left, I have it sway pass my ear to see if the man flinches. He doesn't, showing off his endurance. Not taking my eyes off his, I sit down with a small _huff_. I allow his to do the same, but he keeps his arm outstretched.

At least half an hour passes and I'm still engaged in this contest. My fur has dried from this time in the sun, but the leader's collar was soaked with sweat. The man's stomach growls and he lifts his other hand. He makes various signs and then points at me. On cue, the two behind the man stand and slowly, and at a distance away, walk towards me. They pass my field of vision and I twitch my tail in a faster, but more erratic, motion. One of them snap a branch as the creep closer and I break my focus on the man in front of me to look. A huge mistake. The burly man who had the pokéblocks drops them and lunges forward, catching me and knocking me to the ground. He has my left foreleg pinned, but I swat at him with my right. I scrape his cheek but he pushes more of his weight on me.

The taller of the other two reaches down to help their boss, but I push the leader off of me and jump toward him. I catch the tall goon's arm in my jaw and bring him to the dirt. He screams in pain. "Damn it! Get her off!" I feel the other two grab at the fur in my back. Before they tear me off their friend, I use a Crunch and break the man's arm, then I tear_ it_ off just below the elbow. He screams and rolls away, holding the stub I left him. The two toss me back and I drop the arm as I land. The man had stayed true to his word, although I didn't get a chance to eat the gory limb. I glance at the twitching hand, then back at the three. One is walking toward me while the leader is down holding his worker. Blood gushes from the man's limb and he constantly screams.

I jump at him with a Slash, since I don't know any distant moves, and catch his shirt. It rips open and I scrape his chest, but he catches me in a headlock as I land. He falls with me and lands on top of me, pinning me on my stomach. He hits me above my right eye and I roar in response. He tries again, but I catch his hand in my teeth, shedding even more blood. He yells and rips his hand from my grasp and reaches into his back pocket. I don't know what he brings out, but I shake and jump under his weight, making the object fly from his grasp.

I slid out from under him and jump at him. As he lands, I reel back my head to throw another Crunch toward his jugular. I bring my head down, and pain shoots through my right side, then it doubles. I miss the man completely and he slugs the side of my neck, forcing me off of him. I land on my left side, wheezing in pain. I feel the hot sensation of blood running down my right foreleg, and I can't move.

"Why the fuck didn't you let me do that in the fucking first place!" The man he hit me rises and leans over me. "…I told ya we should've done that that in the damn beginning."

The leader walks over to his side. "…She done killed Jeff. She's a tough one." I wheeze again and the leader hands his last lackey something. "Here Jimmy, take yer gun back."

He pushes it away and points at me. "Why didn't you let me shoot her in the first place? Jeff could still be alive now!"

Joe, I think his name was, shakes his head. "If she's in good health, we make more money." He leans down toward my face. "But with a a couple bullets in her shoulder, I guess it doesn't matter much." He brings the butt of the pistol down on my temple, and my world goes black.


	3. Dislike Hangs like Dead Men

My vision...it's clouded...My ears...I only hear ringing...I...I can't feel my body...No...I feel something...I can hear something...Shouting...

"...And...for...orry to say..."

All of a sudden, my view gleams pure white, then a blurred brown. It settles and I know what I'm looking at; wooden planks. I focus on one of the nails in the floor when my sense of feeling comes back. Pain shoots through my entire right side and I roar in protest to my senses. I try to move and hear the sound of metal clinking together.

"Ah, she's awake!" I look to my right to see the burly thug that hunted me in the forest. His overalls were stained red in the legs and front, and he was missing his shirt, letting his flabby chest show. He smiled at me with a misplaced toothy smile and waved his left hand. "Looks like Scarlet doesn't like her new jewelry!" He was right, I didn't like this chains at all. The strapped me down to the floor by my ankles and neck. I look back up at the man and another one takes his place.

He was dressed in formal attire with his hair combed back. His skin was dark and his eyes dark green. "Scarlet the Luxray," the man said, "you've caused so much trouble over the years, and you've taken the lives of ten-and-three of this fair city's men." he leaned over the pedestal in front of him. "And she is indeed a price of great worth, is she not!"

A roar of applause overcame my ears. I look forward to see a large crowd of about four hundred and wince. The man at the pedestal speaks again. "This wondrous Pokémon has the killer instinct needed for survival, strength for fighting, and she's one of the last Luxray around!" The crowd cheers and the man continues. "Once she is sold to a respectable citizen, we shall chop down the forest for the much needed expansion of out fair city!" More cheering. "Can I start the bidding at two billion poké?"

Some woman raised her sign. "Two billion!"

Another raises his. "Two billion five thousand!"

"Two billion fifty thousand!"

"Two billion one million!"

The man seems to smile. "Going once! Going twice!"

"Two billion _two _million!"

The man at the pedestal laughs. "Oh, this will be fun!"

I shake my head and try to concentrate on something else then the stabbing pain in my shoulder. I look over the crowd, seeing a lot of the people trying to buy me. Once I'm out of these chains, I'll rip out the damn throat of whoever hands over the money.

Minutes drag on and I start to feel woozy again. I want this to end, I've lost too much blood. My strength is waning. I just...want to go home. I was the most feared Pokémon alive...now...I'm basically just a broken portrait waiting to be glued back together. A tear rolls down my cheek. The man speaking grabs my chin and lifts my head to look at me. "Oh, I'm sorry Scarlet, you don't like this...do you?" I'm too weak to try and snap at his hand, so I just shake my head. He lets go and resumes the business at hand. "So, two billion six million? Going once! Going twice!"

"Two billion ten million!"

A few in the crowd gasp. The auctioneer just laughs. "Alright! Going once!" he looks around. "Going twice!" He raises his hand to slap the wood in front of him. "And-"

"Three billion!"

The crowd gasps even louder and start to part to see the man who just yelled. I looked up at the man stepping forward...no, the_ boy_ stepping forward.

The auctioneer immediately slaps his hand down. "Sold! Congratulations Master Grey!"

"Please sir," he steps up onto the stage and kneels in front of me. "Just call me Colten." His smiling face is the last thing I see before I black out again.

* * *

My eyes flutter open, but I can't make out what I'm seeing. It was dark brown and fuzzy, really fuzzy. My ears twitch as I hear something. I listen very closely as my view tries to focus.

"...Yes I know mom...But...But I couldn't just let her get taken by some collector!...I don't care, I had the money, and the heart... ...Mom, yes I know she's a dangerous Pokémon, but she is still a living thing..."

I try to get up, nut yelp as a fiery pain shoots though my right side once more.

"...Mom, I gotta go." I hear a click and look around. I was in someone's house. I was in the center of a large room that had a couch to my left, and a few chairs around a table to my front. The ceiling was about nine feet up with numerous lights and was a sterile white. The walls around were a very light tan, almost white but not quite there, and the furniture was brown. I look at the carpeted floor and see I was laying an some sort of pile of towels. "Oh, you're awake."

I look up between the couch and chairs to a doorway. In the doorway was the small boy that bugged me in the forest earlier. He was dressed in a light blue shirt with no sleeves, green swimming trunks, and white socks. His black hair was hanging down in his left eye and spiked in the back right. He starts walking over to me. "Are you okay?"

I growl at him when he reaches the five foot make. He stops dead in his tracks puts up his hands. "It's okay, it's me, remember? You let me go in the forest?"

"Yeah," I bark back. "You're the one that kept showing up and bugging me!" I guess it doesn't do anything to try and speak with him. All those humans hear is my name.

The kid puts his hands down. "...I'm Colten..." I turn my head at his attempt and try to stand up again, this time getting to my feet, and sway. "Wait, don't!" He steps forward but when he reaches out to me, I bare my teeth and growl. I try to keep my right foreleg up so I don't step on it, but something felt off. I look and see it was bandaged. The white gauze wrapped around my back and chest, covering my shoulder. It was red in two spots, but the red areas where about the size of my paw, so the forms an 'eight' of some sort. I take a step on my good leg, but I end up meeting the floor.

I land hard and whimper when I do. Colten goes to my side, but I growl at him when he gets closer. I feel a warm feeling in my side and look at my shoulder. The spots of red are growing now. I guess Colten sees this too. "You see, I told you not to move. Hold on." He stands and disappears into the house.

I flex my claws in my left paw in anger. How could I have let myself get into this? I should have just killed those thugs when I had the chance.

Colten soon returns with arms filled with medical items...I think. I've never seen some of the items. In fact, the only thing I recognize is the new gauze. That stuff gets stuck in your teeth if you try to eat it. He kneels next to me, but at a distance, and drops the stuff. He reaches out his hand, palm toward the ceiling, and I snarl at him when his hand nears my neck. He tries again, but much slower. "Scarlet...you're wounds won't heal very well if you keep to yourself." I grunt at the human. "Scarlet...you're hurt, you're tired, and I can help...will you let me help you?"

I stare into his eyes again. I can see he's serious. But why should I? I'm strong, I'm tough, I'm...I'm...weak...as much as I dislike the idea from accepting help from a human, I kinda see his point. I close my eyes and lower my head, then move it to the side to let him get at my shoulder.

"Thank you Scarlet." He tenderly grabs the top of my back and starts to peel of the white wrapping. As he's doing this, he seems to be rocking on his knees. "You know Scarlet, I'm sorry, I can call you that, right?" I nod once. "Yeah, Scarlet, I know it must be hard for you to let me do this. A pride thing...right?" Again I nod. "Mm...I'm just gonna come clean here...I feel really bad that this happened to such a powerful Pokémon such as yourself."

I roll my eyes at his flattery. Such attempts will get him nowhe-Damn! I yelp as he pulls the last of the wrapping off, then twist my head to look at him. He looks back at me with a small sorrowful expression. "Sorry." He tosses the pile behind him and grabs a spray bottle about the size of a baseball. "Scarlet, this is going to sting...a lot. I'm really sorry, but it's gonna help in the long run." I straighten my neck and clench my jaw. He sprays the bottle on my wounds and I just try my best now to go berserk and attack. The pain was even worse then the wound itself, but the spray stopped, and the pain slowly dulled. Colten made me prop up a bit on my good leg so he could re-wrap me, sliding the large roll over and under my chest, back, and shoulder. "...Alright...done."

I finally let my jaw relax and sighed. Colten slid the towels next to him under me and I laid back down. I looked at my shoulder, same as before, but with a bit less pain and the bandages were white, not red. I looked straight in front of me with my eyes half closed and slid my jaw side to side until a muted _pop_ came from it's hinges. Colten flinched at the noise but smiled. "Better?"

I looked at my shoulder again, then at him, and keeping the 'keep your distance' look in my eyes, and nodded.

Colten eyed the line of my scar, then nodded back and rose, and a knock came at his door. He walked past me to answer it and grabbed the knob. I hadn't even known the door was there, it was literally seven feet in front of me, although it was in the wall. He opened the door and smiled. "Hey Edward, how ya doin'?"

"Good, no, great! I scored a date with Roxanne!" Colten stepped aside and let his friend in. he didn't see me and that gave me a chance to look him over. He was...uh, really tan. Like..._really_ tan; his skin was light brown. His black hair was done in dreads with red beads and hung to his shoulders. He was wearing a green shirt with white jeans and a black wristband. His feet where cloaked in socks that came up to his ankles and his shoes where green with white soles. "Can you believe it! Roxanne, my life long dream has come true!"

"Dude, you lucky son of a gun!"

The kid laughed and spun on his heels. He started walking toward me while looking over his shoulder, which made the fur on my spine stand up. I growled when he took his third step and got his attention. He looked down at me and jumped back. "Dude!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue and white sphere with red lumps on both sides of the top.

"Hey!" Colten slapped the ball out of his hand. It landed and rolled to his feet. "It's cool!"

Edward pointed at me. "...Is...is that?"

"Yeah, it is." Colten patted him on the back with a smile. "Edward...meet Scarlet..._The_ Scarlet."

"...Scarlet? The fierce killing machine? The savage beast of the forest? The Luxray that mauls of kills every human that enters the forest, _That_ Scarlet!"

"Yes." Colten picked up the kids ball and put it in his hand. "She can come out, but I swear, she's going out if anything starts, as are you. I don't want them fighting. Scarlet's hurt pretty bad." He looked my way. "Anyway, I was just about to get her some food, if she's hungry."

I let the air I had in my mouth escape and clacked my teeth together. I then stuck my tongue out and began to groom my left leg.

"Yeah...I'll feel a bit safer with Jade out with me." Edward let the ball in his hand drop, and it stopped halfway to the ground and opened. A beam of bluish white light appear and formed into a humanistic figure. It flashed once more and I paused in my grooming to look up. What I saw was a Lucario. She was about four foot three and her fur was blue, white around her chest. The spikes on her hands were the purest white, as was the one settled between her B-cups. Her ears twitched and she scratched the back of her neck.

If I could stand, I would easily dwarf her in size, but our weight have been known to be around the same. I continued my grooming and completely withheld my other senses from my surroundings, though I kept my hearing and sight to the perimeter around me.

The Lucario looked around and smiled. She waved to Colten behind her and hugged her master. Master...pfft, what a word...Jade looked down at me and took a step forward to greet me. "Whoa, Jade! Stop right there!" Colten called out from the kitchen, which was about twelve feet from the door. "Careful, she still bites."

Jade retracted her step and cleared her throat. I looked up with an annoyed look. "Hi, I'm Jade. Pleased to meet you," she said with a smile.

"The feelings mutual," I replied, sarcasm _extremely_ heavy on my voice. "The humans call me Scarlet."

"Scarlet...Is that your real name?"

"The only one I have." I rolled my eyes and turned my head away from the Lucario. "Look, I've just been shot, evicted from my home, sprayed with chemicals, and bandaged. I don't really want to talk...or be here."

"What about Colten?" Jade walked closer and sat down in front of me. I could easily swipe at her, but I didn't want to at the moment. "He seems pretty nice, don't you think?"

"Ugh, the only reason I haven't killed him yet is because he didn't try first." I noticed Jade flinch at the word 'killed'. "I don't even like him that much. Sure, he's the first human to see me as more than a prize, but damn it," I slammed my good paw on the carpet with enough force to make a sound, "I'm a wild Pokémon! I need to be out there!"

Colten interrupted us by placing a a plate down in front of me. Laying on it were two Tauros steaks, both raw.

I poked at it. "Plus, I like to _hunt_, not be fed."

Jade crossed her legs. "Sorry to hear."

She reached out to pat me on the back for comfort, but I growled at her and gave her a look that could kill on it's own. "I don't like to be touched." Jade took her paw back. "That was warning number one. The second will be a bit more fierce and the third, you'll loose that arm." Jade gained a worried look. I ignored it. "Sorry to be so straight forward, but I've lived the first thirty years of my life in solitude."

"How old are you?" Jade asked.

"Thirty-_one_."

Jade closed her eyes and nodded. "I don't know if you care, but I'm twenty-nine."

"Mm..." I continued my grooming, ignoring the meat in front of me.

"...Yeah, nice chatting with you...I hope we can become friends." She stood and went back over to her trainer's side. So...as soon as I can walk...I'm outta this place. I glance to the door, which I can only see the knob, and nod. Yeah...I'm outta here.


	4. Clear Minds become Clouded

As I groomed myself in peace, Edward and Colten converse and talk over their days on the couch. I didn't like them sitting there, mainly because I was lying about six feet from their...well, feet, but with my shoulder how it is, I'll just have to ignore them; I don't want to get up _just _to avoid them. These twenty minutes of licking my leg gave me a little time to think over my moves. Crunch, Slash, Thunder Fang, and Spark don't make for a well _distance _battle. But I know my physical power can easily destroy this house, and any who stand in my way. However, if I get hurt, like this wound in my shoulder, I'm done for.

I grunt and stop licking myself. Resting my head on my paws, I close my eyes and settle on listening to the humans' chatter. "Yeah, so I gotta meet Roxanne up at the Bluk 'N' Hut tomorrow at six-thirty." Edward did something to make a rustling noise, probably moving with excitement. "Man, that's gonna be the second happiest day of my life."

"Really?" Colten asked. "What was the first?"

"When Jade joined my family. Nothing can compare to that day. I'm not even sure that my wedding could be that happy."

"Dude, a wedding? Calm down, that's not gonna happen for another decade."

"Gotta think for the future man."

"Gotta _live_ in the now Edward."

"...Gotta point there man...So Colten, if you bought Scarlet with the money use make from your photo and art sales...how are you gonna remodel this place?"

"I'll sell some more."

"...'Kay, and if you used that money to buy Scarlet, does that make you her trainer?"

My eyes shot open and I lifted and turned my head to look at Edward. I growled at him with my fangs exposed, making him jump back in his seat.

"Dude, I'm serious! I don't like that! She makes it feel like I could lose a hand!"

Colten crossed his arms and looked at the floor. "That's 'cause you could." Edward looked at him. "And to answer your question...I don't know. I bought her with my money, but I haven't put her in a Pokéball. So technically...I have a wild Pokémon in my house." He zipped his head and brought his nose to Edward's. "And no, you are not taking her."

"Colten, she's too _scary_ for us to have." I smiled to know that I still struck fear into the hearts of the humans.

Jade came from the kitchen with a bowl of what looked like yellow broken balls. It smelled of flour and butter, and it made my stomach grumble. I still hadn't touched the steaks in front of me, but still. Jade sat on Edward's left, sandwiching him between the two, though they had enough room for another two people. She let them both grab a handful of the bowl's content, then picked a few and popped them in her own mouth. Edward took the bowl and rested it in his lap. Colten looked at me and swallowed the few pieces he had in his mouth. "Scarlet, would you like some popcorn?"

I grunted and put my head back down.

Edward scooted back in his seat. "Dude, I don't think she likes it here."

"Yeah, but I can't just let her go, not like how she is."

I shake my head and try to stand. I stumble a bit, getting Jade off her seat and to my side. She put her paw on my side to steady me. In an instant, as if I was fully healed, I rotate and snap my jaws at the air to her right. She made a scared noise and jumps back. I stand there with my bandaged leg in the air and my head down, growling. After a bit of a standoff, I let the sound in my throat stop and lift my head back up. I turn and limp into the kitchen, and I can feel their gaze on my rear. I jump onto the counter and move over to the sink. I turn the one of the handles on the sink and get a stream of water flowing, which I take a drink from.

I heard Edward start to complain. "Dude, she almost took Jade's arm off! You aren't seriously considering keeping her!"

I heard someone rise from the couch and walk over my way. I jump down from the counter, stumbling as I land on one leg, and look at Colten. He takes a cooking bowl from the counter and fills it with water. He walks back to the spot with the steaks on the floor and puts the bowl of water down with it. "Ed...She can stay until her wounds heal...then it's her choice if she wants to go or not."

I limped back over to the pile of towels and laid back down. I got a glare from Edward, but I ignored it and went to drink from the bowl Colten had set down.

"...Jade, I think we should go." Edward grabbed Jade's paw and headed to the door. "Night Colten, see you later."

"Night you two."

The door closed and I put my head down, facing the wall. My shoulder started to burn a bit, but I could barely notice. I heard footsteps moving away from my spot.

"Well Scarlet, it almost eight. I'll be awake for a bit longer, but I'll be in my bedroom. Call if you need something...and good night." he click off the lights, leaving me in the glow of the nightlight near the sink. "Sweet dreams Scarlet."

That got my head up. I glanced over at him as he left the room. I kept my on the empty doorway for a bit longer, then stared at the steaks in front of me. I stare at the steaks, tracing the veins with my eyes and following where they lead, pointing out where they converge for the longest time. I shake my head and reach down, taking one in my teeth. As I slowly gnaw the steak, not really eating it, just _tenderizing_ it with my fangs, I reflect on Colten's actions. I try my best to stay strong, stay fierce, keep my senses, but still he shows kindness toward me. Something's wrong with this kid, that's for sure. No one in his right mind would even try to be nice, let alone _befriend_ something as vicious as me.

I snap back to reality, seeing that I had actually eaten the food in front of me. It left a coppery taste in the back of my mouth. I took a slow drink from the bowl in front of me, then look at the ceiling in realization. I'm acting just like a pet! The food set out for me, the bowl of water, a make shift bed! I'm degrading myself be allowing a human to take care of me! I stand in anger and try to limp over to the door, but I used all of my energy in that rebel act of nearly biting the other Pokémon. So I just stand there, right leg in the air, tail down on the ground.

I lie back down and bury my face in the towels below me, and the scent of soap fills my nose. For some reason, it makes me drowsy, so I put aside the degrading thoughts of possible captivity and fall into a deep sleep.

* * *

My senses slowly come back after my slumbering state starts to fade. The sound of talking, buzzing, and many other sounds fill my waking ears. I bring head up and open my eyes. I drearily look around, seeing a bowl of brown pellets in front of me next to the bowl of water.

"Good afternoon." I look over at the couch to see Colten sitting there with one leg over the other. He was wearing a red T-shirt and the green pants from yesterday. He smiled. "I didn't think you'd even wake up today. It's two o clock."

Time is a label. Useless. If you can see the sun, you can tell what time of day it is. I grunt and put my head down.

Colten sighs. "Look, Scarlet...I know you don't want to be here, but you're still hurt. But in a few days, the hyper potion I gave you should help. In fact, tomorrow I could give you another, you rest for another day, then you can go back to the forest. Okay?"

"Just give me a few more potions now then." Again he only hears my name. "Oh yeah, you can't understand me huh?" I look at him. "Yeah, nothing right? Stop sign, trench coat, burger, hello." He cocks his head to the left and I shake mine. I stop and look his in the eye. I then glance at my shoulder, then at him.

"...You want another potion don't you?" I nod at him. "But it may give you an upset stomach." I glace at my shoulder again, then at him. "...Alright." He stands and walks out of the room. I keep my ears up to listen, but he makes such little noise when he moves, it hard to hear him at all. He comes back shortly holding another brown bottle. Brown; why is almost everything around here a shade or brown?

I shift my weight a bit as he kneels down next to me. "Now," he says, "I can spray this through the bandages or take them off and then spray. If I take them off, it's gonna sting a bit but it'll work faster."

"Take them off," I say in return.

He just looks at me. "…I can't understand you. Here," he holds up his hands, keeping the bottle in his right. "Point at the potion if you want me to spray through the gauze or to my left if you want the bandages off."

I instantly point to his left with my eyes.

"As you wish. Could you stand?" I roll my eyes and I start to get up. When I'm completely up, Colten has to stand as well to work. He starts peeling the white wrap away again and gathers it in a roll. "…You know once this potion takes effect I don't have to rewrap you…" He's nearly halfway done when I start to pick up on noises from outside. It sounds like…construction. Like drills and hammers and saws…I shake my head and leave the thought.

Colten gets the last of the wrap off of me and looks at my shoulder. I do the same. The wound looks like it was closing…somewhat, and Colten has a worried look on his face. "…I, uh…don't think they took the bullets out…" He stood and went over to the kitchen. After about seven minutes of rummaging through the drawers and cupboards, he brought out a first aid kit...a big one. He walked back over to me and sat down cross-legged with it in his lap. He opened it and I peered inside.

Settled in certain elastic straps and bags were potions, wraps, creams, tubes, and what really caught my eye, needles, thread, clamps, and the item he just pulled out, a very long and slim pair of tweezers. They were about seven inches long and bend about an inch from the tip. "Alright, I'm just gonna reach in and pull the slugs out." Colten kept the kit open but he set it aside. He motioned for me to keep standing. "It might hurt a bit, but if you stand completely still, it's gonna be over," he snapped the fingers on his free hand, "just like that."

I straightened my neck and looked forward. He put his hand on the bend of my back and I suppressed the urge to bite at him, though it was much weaker than if someone else were to touch me. "Yeah, I can see the slugs. Hold still."

I felt the cool steel touch my wound, and...it didn't hurt. It felt weird, like cool water on your _muscles_, but it didn't hurt. It _did_ hurt a bit when he gripped the bullet inside my shoulder. He slowly pulled it out and placed it on the towel below me and went in for the other. I _huffed_ when he took the second one out. "...There. Now, I'm gonna put on a patch to prevent infection, then you'll be good." He reached into the kit and brought out a small four by four square. Colten peeled one side, sprayed my shoulder with the last potion, and stuck the patch over my shoulder. I lay back down and he closed the lid. "Okay."

I looked at the carpet when that annoying construction noise hit my ears again. This time it sounded like one of the machines, if there even is one, was starting to fail. I growl at the noise and Colten puts the kit away. "Scarlet, I have a bit of an errand to run." He walks into the doorway leading to his bedroom. He returns wearing sandals and a wallet open in his hand. Colten checks to see if he has any money. "Yeah, so I'll be back in about twenty minutes." He closed his wallet and stunk it in his pocket. "I want you to stay there and rest. Tomorrow you'll be strong enough to leave if you want." He walked to the front door and opened it. "See you in a bit." Colten closed the door behind him and leaves me alone.

I put my head down and close my eyes. I let the memories of the previous day run by me again so I can point out where I messed up. When I was staring down Joe, I should've pounced. When I slid out from the one on top of me, I should have gone for his throat from the ground. When I was shot, it was because I was too focused on the prey below me.

I must have zoned out because what seemed like thirty seconds passed and Colten came through the door again. He was holding a box with blue patterns. Closing the door, he came back over to me and opened the box open. Colten reached in and pulled out what looked like a one ear headset; like a single earphone with a speaker that reached to his mouth but slightly different. "With this," he said while putting it on, "I'll be able to understand you." He clicked a button on the side. "Could you say something?"

"Something."

He looked at me and chuckled. "Cool, it works."

I looked at him. "So you can understand me now?"

He nodded "Yes."

I crossed my forelegs. "I want to ask you a few things now."

He nodded. "Okay, shoot."

"Why did you buy that?"

He looked at me. "…Well…having you around has been…nice. I guess I got this so I could talk, I mean actually talk to you before you decided to leave…_if_ you decide to leave."

I squinted my eyes. "It's been nice...Come clean. Why did you buy me? Why did you spend all that paper on me? Why…" I leaned forward, though it was difficult while I was lying down, "…are you being so nice to me?"

Colten sighed and kept his gaze at the floor. "…I…I had to buy you. You looked so…injured, so hurt. I couldn't just let you be bought be someone who didn't care." He looked up. "And why am I being so nice to you? Because you deserve it. You are a proud and strong Pokémon, not just some animal. And just because you hurt other humans doesn't mean you're some rabid beast meant to be in chains." He reached forward and put his hand on the back of my neck. I glanced at his hand, then back at him. "It doesn't mean any of that. You are a Pokémon, just as smart as me, maybe smarter, and much stronger."

I growled in a low tone. "That doesn't answer my question, so quit the flattery and get on with it."

"…Scarlet, I just don't have it in me to _not_ be kind. If I wasn't nice to you, I would be no better than the man who hurt you. And you deserve better."

I stare into his eyes. I…I can't tell what he's feeling. I shake my head and look at the wall. "…I…need to think."

"I understand." Colten rose and walked off into the house.

I…can't think straight…Is this human…Is Colten…_different_ from the other humans. I don't know anymore. All I do know is that my home…is in the trees, in the leaves…in…the forest.


	5. Clouded Minds become Clear

"Scarlet, are you okay?"

"Just fine."

Colten resettles into his spot on the couch and resumes watching something he calls TV. I had been thinking about what he said for about an hour, and still haven't come to a conclusion, if there even was one to come to. I see Colten take off his new headset and relax, something I am not able to do at the moment.

He has shown sincere kindness toward my being; a possibility I thought had not existed. He has healed me, fed me, and_ talked_ to me. Maybe when I go back to the forest…I could come to town and visit. Talk with one another, pass the time…Maybe I shouldn't be so severe with the humans…Damn it; there's that annoying construction noise again. It seems whatever the humans are working on, it's gonna take forever. But that's how it works, how they work; loud, slow, and messily.

Colten shifts in his set to look at me. "Scarlet, it's nearly four o clock. Are you hungry?"

I shake my head in response. I didn't want to eat at the moment.

"Alright then."

I look into the kitchen and glance out the window above the sink. That noise is coming from outside, but it's so unusually paced. I sigh and start to nip at my right leg. A loud boom from the TV makes me jump, and I look at it and growl.

"Sorry," Colten says shyly. "I'll find something…a bit gentler to watch." He does something to a small rectangular gray box and the TV changes.

These humans are a strange species. Very strange indeed.

"Here we go," he said to himself. I ignore him and stand. I test my weight on my injured shoulder. I can almost put all my weight on it now, just getting a strong sting if I do completely. I start walking forward with a slight limp and pace around the room. "Feeling better?" Colten asks from the couch.

I hum in response and nod when I get into his field of vision. He smiles at me and I stop in my tracks. That face...that quiet, caring face. He really _is_ a good one; a rare one. I put my gaze to the floor and continued to the pile of towels. I lie back down and look at my paws. Flexing, I force my claws out and look them over; same as ever. I let them retract and glance at Colten. He was staring into the TV with a mild expression of fascination on his face.

I find myself smiling and shake the look of my face. I shouldn't allow myself to open show emotions. Gratitude is one thing, and anger or fury is completely different in the matter, but happiness…no way. I curse myself and look back out the kitchen window. Still those sounds emanate somewhere from outside. If this goes on any longer I might go insane.

I spent the next three hours trying to pass the time: fiddling with my claws, toying with a rag, unnecessarily grooming myself once more, though much didn't help. So, at the moment, I'm lying down in the same spot on the same towels and carving lines into another steak Colten set out for me with my claws.

I guess Colten noticed my boredom, for he came over and kneeled down on the tips of his toes near me. "Scarlet, you okay?"

I look up at him and see that he wasn't wearing the headset he bought. I nod.

He nods back. "Do…do you want to talk?"

I open my mouth to make a noise, but that annoying construction ruckus starts back up. I let my left ear fall and redirect his attention to the kitchen window.

He looks at me and the stands. He goes to the couch and remounts his headset. "What?"

I point at the window. "Those sounds have been going on all day. What is it?"

He looks over at the sink's window, then walks over to it. He opens it and the sund intensify fivefold. Colten sticks his head out and looks around. His eyes noticeably widen. "Oh no."

I stand from my pile. "What? What is it?"

"Construction."

"I know that," I say quickly.

Colten turns and looks me in the eye. "Scarlet, there's a construction site outside, about four miles from the town. They're…they're cutting down the forest."

"…What?"

"The city's in need of an expansion, so they're cutting down the trees to use for materials."

I feel a tingling in my face. "…They're…cutting down my home?" I stare at him for a second longer, then glance to the left and growl. I turn and speed walk to the door and put my weight on it, then slam into it.

"Scarlet! Wait! You're not fully healed!" Colten speed walks over to me.

"I don't care!" I time my words with the rhythm of me slamming into the door. "That's…My…Home!" I break the door from its hinges and start of in a dash toward the outskirts of the city. My shoulder burns from my wounds, but I don't care. I leave the cemented ground of the city's streets and hit grass.

I can hear Colten scream after me, but I keep running. How could the humans do this? I swear, "I'll kill every one of them!" I see the giant yellow machines start to grow, meaning I was getting closer. Though I wasn't at the forest yet, I start to see stumps of trees they've already fell. I feel drops of rain start to fall as I gain speed. Running….Running…I keep running for another two minutes. The rain was in a full downpour now, and thunder could be heard from the distant fields.

I reach the construction site and jump with all my might. I land on the top of a twelve foot tractor and look around. The humans, now drenched from the rain, were putting their items away. Saws, tools, straps, everything was going away. I growl at a very loud and low tone and get their attention. Lightning strikes behind me, giving my frizzled shape even more ferocity.

One of the short workers drops his chainsaw. "…Is that-"

"It's Scarlet!" one of the others call out.

"Wasn't she shot and sold?"

"Yeah, but she's right there!"

One of the taller workers steps forward. "Well, she was shot just two days ago! She's weak! Get rid of her!"

I jump down and tackle the tall one that just spoke. I swipe at his face with the ads of my paw, then grab his shirt in my teeth and fling him into another worker. I roar with anger and bloodlust. There will death tonight!

"Everyone, get the fuck out of here!"

The workers scatter like scared Rattata as I roar again. Thunder claps soon after I end and I jump at another worker. I catch his right arm in my jaws and snap it, then back up and swing my tail at him. It lands on his shoulder with a loud _slap_ and sends him skidding across the wet grass.

"Someone call the police!"

I glance back around, seeing that four men have taken items of some soft. One had a blade, the other three large sticks. I keep my head down, ready to pounce, and one of them charge me. I jump forward and slam the flat of my skull into his belly, knocking the wind from his lungs. He falls clutching his abdomen. One of the men tries to attack me from behind. I use my tail to whip his left thigh, drawing blood through his pants.

The other two in front of me yell and charge at the same time. I jump to the right and then jump back at them. I slam into the one with the machete and in return he slams into his partner. The man with the stick gets up and flees, while the one with the blade curses me. I step on his arm and jolt forward, breaking a bone. He screams in agony, and I pick up his collar and toss him aside.

I look around, seeing a few more workers coming at me. One of them had a chainsaw running, black smoke pouring from its motor. The sun had been hidden by the dark clouds, leaving the lightning to illuminate the battlefield. The man with the chainsaw runs forward. I move to the left and trip the man. He falls and drops the tool. The casing shatters and the machine continues to run, but it sputters and dies shortly afterwords.

I look at the sky and roar once more. By random chance, a bolt of lightning flies from the dark clouds and strikes me. There was no pain from the strike, but it made me feel...energized. I wobble on my feet, then look around. The workers are running at me, but they're so slow, like time itself has been slowed down. I smile and brush by them, giving them all a hit of some kind. My supercharge faded rather quickly and I glance at the workers, who were wondering what just happened, and send them running. One of the large tractors with a saw mounted on the arm is hit by a strike of lightning, sending charges through the metal and into the ground.

I hear the clicks of numerous guns being cocked and loaded. I turn to see a few policemen kneeling in the grass, their guns trained on me. Two more cruisers pull up behind the six men and release eight more policemen and a policewoman. The all get their guns ready to shoot. "Get on the ground!" one of them calls out. "Lay down on the ground! Now!"

A large gust of cold wind ruffles my fur making me seem as light as the air itself. More policemen arrive and circle me. They pull out their guns as well and more clicking sounds out.

My vision goes red with rage. "You humans destroy my home and expect me just to lie down and let you continue!" I look at what remains of the forest. "You all disgust me! You don't deserve this land! You have taken too much! Now you must pay!" I step forward, rage building in my chest and burning my throat. "All of you!" I roar and let loose a stream of orange flames that crackle in the rain. Several policemen are caught in the blistering inferno, but the rain quickly extinguishes them. Some run for cover, but most hold their ground.

The policewoman behind my stands. "Open fire!"

"No!"

The police force looks south and part. I look toward the gap as well, and see a figure running. His hair was plastered to his face and his clothes wet, but still Colten ran forward. One of the policemen grabbed his shoulder to stop him, but he slid from his grasp and ran into the circle.

"Scarlet!" He slowed to a stop about ten feet from me. Fear was apparent in his eyes as he gazed over my huffing wet form. Lightning struck in the background and thunder clapped through the field. He put a hand to his right ear. "Scarlet, you need to stop!"

"These humans destroyed my home!" I could feel flames seep from my maw. "They…they've taken everything I had!"

Colten shook his head. "Scarlet, you need to stop. There's nothing left to fight for."

"I should kill every human here!"

"No, you shouldn't." he steps forward. "If you do, you're nothing more than a feral beast."

I stare him down then close my eyes and let my head hang. "Is that any different from what I really am?"

"Yes..." I look up at Colten as he steps forward again. You're much more than that. You're a smart, powerful, beautiful Pokémon. You're a living soul, and no matter how black you may think it is...I can see the light within."

His words struck deep, making my chest physically ache. I don't care anymore, I don't care what they think anymore, I just broke down and began crying. As I start to lie down, I feel someone embrace me. Colten wraps one arm under my neck and pulls my head to his chest, while the other rests on my back and sits down as I do. I just can't hold it in anymore; I just let go and wept into his chest.

He rubs my back and gently rocks back and forth. "Shh...It's okay..." He moves a bit as I cry into his wet shirt. "...What's wrong with you people?" he says quietly. "...Whats wrong with you people! You all were about to shoot her dead!"

The policewoman answers him. "We were doing our jobs kid."

"You were about to kill someone."

"She was attacking the workers here!"

"She was _defending_ what used to be her home!" Colten rubs the back of my head. "You think it's okay to destroy someone's home, then try to kill them when they come at you with fists blazing? No! That's bullshit! That's completely unfair!"

"Kid, that Pokémon was injuring other humans, we were doing our job."

"No, your job is to protect the citizens. Scarlet has lived here for over thirty years! I think that makes her one too."

"No, she is not, she is a dangerous animal!"

"You people _made _ her into a dangerous animal!" His embrace gets tighter. "You _all_ made her the way she is. She attacks because you all constantly hunt her, try to catch her, hurt her! This is all _your _fault!" he stutters and tries to catch his breath. "You should have kept the others from entering the forest in the first place!"

"We have no authority to do that."

"Yes you do! You do it all the time within the city! You _let_ others into the forest! You _let_ people hunt Scarlet! You _let_ them corrupt a what may have been a sweet and loving Pokémon into one that acts like a cold, hard-shelled beast!" He pauses and strokes my head. "...You all should be ashamed of yourselves." Colten stood and brings me up with him. "You've let the city take the home and everything precious to her. Congratulations. I hope you're proud of yourselves." He starts walking forward.

"I'm sorry kid, I can't let you leave with her."

"I'm not leaving, and neither is Scarlet...We're going home." Colten takes me and strolls past the police and back to the city. The thunder booms louder, but no lightning was seen. "Scarlet..."

"...I have nothing left..."

"You're wrong." He stops and turns. He kneels in front of my and forces me to sit down. "You have a lot left. You have this." He places his hand over my chest. "You have spirit. A will of your own." He raises his hand off my chest and cups my face. "And you'll know when to use it some day." He stands and puts his arm over my neck. With him being only four inches taller than me, I cant tell who's leading who right now. But the tears flowing down my face tell me he is. "Come Scarlet...let's go home."

"...But...but...I have no home anymore..."

"Yes you do." Sparks fly from his right ear and he rips the headset from his head. He tosses it on the wet ground. "...Scarlet...you're staying with me."

I look at him...and smile. He starts walking forward once more and with me under his arm, I follow. I don't know what's going on right now; I feel..._different_. I...don't feel the constant hatred at the back of my gut anymore. I now feel something...much more...meaningful...Something...pure. Whatever it is, whatever Colten has triggered...it's for the better.


	6. As they say, 'Happy Ending'

We reached Colten's place after a rather slow twenty minutes of walking in the rain. I kinda felt bad once I saw his door in the front yard. He patted my neck. "Don't worry about the door." He continued forward into his home. After a bit of waiting, I shook off the best I could in the rain and followed. Once I stepped inside, Colten came to the open doorway with thick plastic sheets and duct tape. He closed the doorway and made it look like a very opaque window…with tape around the edges. "There," he said triumphantly.

I looked at the floor. We were both soaking wet, and the carpet was getting to that state as well. Colten walked past me and into the other room. As I watch him, I can't help but feel a pang of some emotion I've never truly felt. I think it was guilt, but…yeah, guilt. I've kinda been…well, a bitch these past two days and all he's done was give. And now, he's letting me stay under his roof until I find a new home.

Colten returns shirtless, shoeless, and has a towel wrapped around his waist. He scratches his neck and sighs. "That communicator I bought was a three pack, so I ain't sticking another in my ear tonight. One shock was enough." He has a a towel in his arms, and he drapes it over my wet form. It wasn't big enough to cover even half of my body, but it did soak up the water quite fast, and that was just from contact. Colten goes to his knees in front of me and takes the towel around my back and starts to move it from side to side. "Scarlet, I'm hoping this doesn't happen again. You scared me out there; I thought you were going to die." He stopped moving his arms and pulled me forward, resting my collarbone on his left shoulder. "Please don't do that again. Ever."

I look at his bare back, then close my eyes and turn my head behind his. He breaks moments later and continues to dry me off. Looking back on what just happened, I felt something spark in my chest, something…_warm_. He lets the towel on my back drop to the floor and stands, securing his towel with one hand. He goes to the pile of towels that made my bed earlier and grabbed a smaller rag. Returning, he puts it on my skull and starts working on that. "…You know Scarlet…your fur is in great condition." He takes the rag from my head and gives my cheeks a simple wipe.

"…Scarlet…you're a very special Pokémon, you know that right?" I don't answer him. "No, really. You are." Colten lets the towel drop to the floor and goes back into the hallway leading to his bedroom. I cock my head to one side at a slight rummage and crash. Colten returns and kneels in front of me. This time he goes so low down, I have to lie down to make eye contact. I see he has his hands behind his back.

He has a very small smile on his face. "Scarlet…I know that the forest was your home, but look." Colten brings his hands forward, showing me what he had. It was a pokéball, but it had light and dark green stripes where the red should have been. This was a nest ball. "This is a one-time thing. You go in, you come out, and this goes on the shelf. Do you know what I'm trying to say?"

I shake my head at him.

He puts his right hand on my shoulder. "Scarlet…I'm giving you this home, a new home, and a friend. How would you like to live here?" he asked while opening his arms to his surroundings.

I stare at him, nearly letting my mouth hang open. I back up a bit and sit up, keeping my gaze at the carpet. Colten shuffles and sits up as well. I glance at the kitchen window, then back at him. I open my mouth to say something, but no noise comes forth. I try again, but still nothing.

"…Scarlet…you don't know…do you?" I shake my head. "…I'll let you sleep on it." He stands up and stretches. "Your dinner is still over there if you want," he said pointing to the plate on the floor. "This has been a tiring day, so I'm going to bed once I dry off. I'll be in my bedroom." He smiles and turns. "Oh, and that plastic will keep the rain out, but it'll suck the heat from this room. If you get too cold in the next hour, come down to my room. I'll have a communicator on my nightstand so don't be afraid to ask anything." He walks toward his hallway and once I see him leave the room, I stand and walk over to the pile of towels on the floor and lie down upon them.

I turn over on my back and try my best to dry myself the rest of the way off. I thrash and squirm and scoot until the fur on my legs and lower back or dry enough. Satisfied, I go after the meat in front of me.

As I'm eating, I think over Colten's offer. Do I want to stay here? Do I want to spend the remainder of my life with Colten? Captivity…it gives me a constant food and water supply, a roof over my head, and…someone to talk to, I guess. That's going to be a problem; I've spent thirty years alone living in solitude so I might be a bit rusty on conversations and socializing. However, captivity won't give me the freedom of the wild, the thrill of the chase, and the nature walks…well, the last one's debatable.

What else is on the good side? No more hunters, no more fighting the elements, not that I would lose, no more fighting over territory, no more competing for food. Who am I kidding; the humans say I'm one of the last Luxray in this region. I've never even seen another one of my evolutionary chain besides the shattered memories of my parents. I don't need to compete with anyone.

Hm…I guess I have his answer. I'll tell him in the morning...actually, maybe sooner. Colten was right; the temperature in this room was dropping. I could feel it through my fur, which was still damp on my lower body. I stood and walked to the hallway and looked down both ways. To the left was an open door that led to a room covered in gray tiles and some sort of white bowl about seventeen inches tall. To my right was another door, slightly open, and light was seeping though. I walked over and nudged it open and saw Colten pulling something up to his waist. They looked like gray pants, just shorter. I poked my head through the doorway and waited.

Colten grabbed another white box and aimed at the TV on his dresser and flipped the channel. I still don't know how he does that. Once satisfied, he jumped onto his bed, which was about two-in-a-half feet off the ground on a wooden base, and scooted up to where his back was against the backboard. Only then did he notice me waiting for him. "Hey Scarlet," he said with a small smile, "getting cold?"

I nodded and he patted the spot of the bed next to him. I don't know what that meant, but I crept in a bit more. I kicked the door closed and looked around. It was a simple room; an overhead light, a TV, a closet, a dresser, a bed big enough for four people, and a nightstand. Again Colten patted the spot next to him. I cocked my head to one side. He smiled and closed his eyes. "Come on up here." I looked at him strangely. I was about five feet tall from my head to the floor, and he was only a few inches taller, and he's _comfortable_ with letting me so close to him? Another pat and I walked to the side of his bed and jumped up. I lay down at sort of an angle, but so I could glance at him and the door.

He reached over and slapped on his communicator. "So? Was it getting cold in there?"

"…Sort of. Colten, did you mean what you said out there?"

"About letting you stay here?" I nod. "Yes…yes I did."

I close my eyes and lick the side of my face. "…I have my answer." I opened my eyes and catch his, forcing him into a stare. I can see the reflection of my own red orbs in his. "Colten…get the ball."

"…You really mean it?" I nod. Colten reaches over to his nightstand again and brings out the nest ball. "Really?"

"Yes, really. But if you, if _we_, do this I need to talk with you afterwards." He reaches out with his free hand and places it on top of my head and rubs. I let out a soft purr to let him know I was still serious. He smiled and bumps my nose with the ball, and my vision goes black. Light filled the area, kinda, and all I see are walls. My vision goes white again and then I see Colten's smiling face. "…That it?"

"That's it Scarlet. You're with me now."

"Okay." I look around again, the n catch his eyes in another stare. "Now I need to talk with you. Now that I'm…your Pokémon, I still need to have this knowledge. Which one of us is the Alpha?"

"…Ahehe…what?"

I keep the stare up. "Which one of us is the Alpha? I'm a strong female and I have age on my side. You have gender on yours. At the moment, I'm still the Alpha for I have been since I gained the forest as my territory."

Colten scratched his head. "…Well, I'm the trainer…I should be the Alpha. How so I do that then?"

"You have to best me. Basically dominate me."

"Dominate you?" He looked at his chest, then at the TV, and then at me again. "…What do you mean?"

I glanced at my waving tail. "You need to state your dominance, and my species, if I remember correctly, does that by having the males of the pack fight. But since you're the only male, you need to skip to the last part; fertility."

"What?"

"Listen Colten," I said bluntly, "we're alone and in a state of disagreement. So do what my species does; mate with me and prove yourself worthy of having the title Alpha." I shook my head a bit. "…Or I remain the Alpha and you live under my paw."

Colten had his jaw open. Using his hand, he manually closed it and covered his eyes. "…Are you serious?"

I stood on his bed and turned myself around so I could stare at the TV. I lie back down and feel the tip of my tail hit the headboard of the bed. "I am. You don't have to Colten; it'll just mean that _I'm_ dominating _you_."

I heard him grumble a few times and mull over his options aloud. "…Hm…Maybe…no, not that…I could…no, I couldn't…Oh fine. Scarlet." I twitched my ear. "Stand up." I did so. Colten put a hand on my spine. "Head down." I kept my rear in the air but laid my head down on my paws. I felt weight distribute in certain spots of the mattress as Colten stood. I saw something gray fly past the bed and land on the floor. "Scarlet, I'm the human; the trainer. I'm the Alpha here, and I'll...prove it if I need to." He moved his right hand to my hip and grabbed my tail with the other, keeping it to the side.

He's really going to do it? I didn't think he had-Nghh...I felt a pinch go through my lower body as Colten pushed into me. Once he was completely inside me, he moved his hands to the bends of my hind legs for a grip and pulled out. He pushed back into me, making me slid forward a bit. He felt big…bigger than he should have been, and filled me completely. I got into the slow rhythm Colten was going at and started to move my rear toward him when he bucked forward.

As he humped me, my whole body seemed to vibrate; I don't know why, but…maybe this is what it feel like when a bond is formed. Colten slamming into me; it felt good…really good. I felt my own juices start to run down my legs as he pounds me. My legs started to shake and I let myself fall to the mattress, Colten's member sliding out of me in the process.

Colten moved around and slid his arm under my left side. "Scarlet, something wrong?"

"…Just a bit…weak in the knees."

"Then let me help." With the arm under my side, he rolled me over onto my back. Colten spread my legs apart again and glanced down at my entrance. I was able to get a glance at his member. It seemed to be about seven inches long and fairly thick. "…Looks like someone's enjoying herself," he said with a smirk.

"Don't push it...this is for a title."

"Yeah, okay." Colten settled himself on top of me, resting his chest on mine, and pushed into me again. I wrapped my tail around his thigh as he started to thrust into me again. I wondered what this might look like; a human having sex with a Pokémon. But…I'm starting to not care; this was feeling really good, good enough to cloud my thoughts. Colten continued to ram into me with adequate force. "…So…do I…get the title?" he asked between thrusts.

I tried to stop my own panting to answer. "I've…yet to lose…"

"Then…I'll try harder…" Colten sped up and basically started throwing himself into me, making my pussy tighten and clamp around his hard member. I could feel my own juices flow from my entrance, running down and soaking the sheets below us. Soon enough the entirety of my inner legs were drenched, and the bed wasn't doing any better. Colten must have noticed. "Geez...you really...need a...good release..."

"...Sh...shut it," I try to growl. My small huffs turned to mewls of pleasure as Colten continued thrusting into me. I didn't want to lose my title as Alpha, but...he's so good.

I feel a shutter rip through my body, then my vision, though blackened by my eyelids, went pink. Intense pleasure surged down my spine and I felt myself release over Colten's throbbing cock. Immediately after I came, I felt something warm, warmer than warm, fill me. He emptied his seed into my awaiting womb, though in vain for spawn.

I slit my eyes just enough to see Colten's smiling, and wet, face. "...I win." That was the last thing I remember before I blacked out.

* * *

I awoke to the sound of hammering. My head shoots from the blankets and I look around, seeing that I was still in Colten's bedroom. "...That's right..._he's_ the Alpha now." I look at my hindquarters and then perk up my ears. Aside from the hammering, I can hear voices.

"So yeah, she asked me out and didn't even know my name!"

"Sorry to hear Edward."

"Colten, I think she thought I was one of the popular jocks, that's why she agreed to my date."

I slide off Colten's bed and slip into the short hallway. I poke my head past the doorway and look into the living room. Over the back of the couch I can see Colten and Edward nailing in new hinges for a new door. I listen in on their conversation again.

"Don't worry Ed, you'll find the right one sooner or later. But don't hurry, you still have-damn!" Colten took his left hand away from the frame and shook it in the air. "I hit my thumb!"

Ed snickered. "Sorry mate, you were saying?" Ed put his hammer down and took a seat on the couch, still oblivious to my presence.

"I was saying," Colten said still shaking his hand, "that you still have Jade to look after."

"...Right, but she is older than I am too, bro." He stared at the ceiling. "Speaking of which, what did you do with Scarlet?" I began to creep out of the hall and up to the back of the couch. "Is she still around?" I look up and carefully put my chin on the rim of the couch's back. Colten smiles and points. "What," Ed says still unaware of me. He turns and pushes his nose against mine, then jumps back so badly his green shoes fly off.

I snicker and walk over to Colten's, where I turn to face his floor-ridden friend and lick the back of my paw. Colten puts a hand on my head and chuckles. "Heh, yeah, she's still here."

"I know that now wanker!" Ed's feet tried to grab traction in the air for a second before he flipped over and stood. He grabbed his shoes and tossed them back on his feet. "Damn dude, how can you be so comfortable with...with," he points at me, "_that_ being at your heels?"

"Let's just say," Colten looks down at me and our eyes meet for a second, "that Scarlet and I reached a..._checkpoint_ of sorts."

Ed walks past him and out the open doorway. "Whatever, I'm...I need to go. Maybe a vacation or something." He points at me one last time. "She's already scared at _least_ four years outta my life. Good luck with the door and bye."

"Bye." Colten looks down at me and I smile. Maybe captivity...won't be so bad...or bad at all with him.

**Damn, it's good to be back! All of us! I'm the only one with a computer and since it...**_**broke,**_** battery shorted out _and_ charge cable wire snapped,**** on the 20****th**** of May, all was at a standstill. Anyway, good to be back!  
Author 1.**


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